The Irish standard., 1887-05-14
a RESOLuTE BABY.
Two-Year-O1u Royss Triumph Over q
pnr, ;c;n Fab

A Two-Year-Olu Hoy's Triumph Over y
Perncious Habit.
From the time that he was six weeks old
his thumb was hardly ever out of his
mouth for an hour, relates contributor
to Babyhood 1t was only in that way be
could drop of to sleep. His instant re-
sponse to a caress, even when mere in
FAINT, was to nestle down with his cheek
against the beloved face and slip his thumb
into his mouth. Many times a day he
would seem to fall into reverie IN that
position. What single diversion or passion
in the complex life of an adult could be so
Indispensable, so hard to relinquish. as
this, the one pastin1e, the one employment
Of baby's idle hours!
Scores Of friends have said: s'You must
break it up. The longer you wait the
longer the fight will be.'' Only one method
was ever suggested to US; 10 put some.
thing so disgusting or so bitter upon the
thumb that it would be unendurable 20
him, and 10 persist in this treatment until
the association With the thumb was only
one OF aversion, not OF comfort, This was
actually tried on little kinswoman OF his
who bites her nails; but the softhearted
grandsire applying the aloes could not re.
frain from assuring her it was ''nice, I" and
pretending to taste it, So she accepts it
as a treat, licks it off, and begs for mcye.
Now assafetida is called for.
The week after Max was two years old
his mother, to prepare him for what
seemed to be the inevitable treatment,
talked with him long and earnestly, show
ing him the calloused, distorted little
thumb so helpless TO resist his cruel treat
ment; telling him that he was pushing his
dear little teeth also cut OF place, and as
l.; 49, - o1y,orr nor
unhappy. So completely were we under
the influence OF all the more experienced
parents of our acquaintance that we had no
thought of more than "a momentary effect
from these words.
For the next day or two he was unac-
countaDly irritable, and at night especially
he tossed and fretsed for hours. stead OF
lapsing of at once into peaceful slumbers
as before, Once when his mother stepped
in to soothe hiIa she was greeted with an
angry, Mamma, go 'way Dom want
mamma! Want kick mammal" Present
~ we realized what a struggle was being
fought through. From that day he never
again in his waking hours put the thumb
inside his mouth, nor ever alluded to it,
except to ask sympathy for the "poo little
so fnuln" A week Or 50 later, when he
spent the day with some intimate friends,
they were astcnlShed to see him many
times raise his hand with the gesture
which had become involuntary. bethink
himself in season, and with an effort lower
it again. After few days he was as
atfectionate and full Of delight in life as
ever but for weeks he could fall asleep
only after long, wearisome struggle.
Several times in this month we have found
that long after falling asleep say len or
eleven in the evening, his thumb has
slipped iii. This shows aow strong the
habit had grown And yet When aroused
In the effort to draw it out he rspels with
an indignant "No-o.oi" round-mouthed and
wide-eyed, the charge Of ever once return
Ing to the old habit.
Was not that a successful appeal to a
higher motive than disgust? Will not shs
success OF that drst great effort help the
growth Of the queen of all virtues sophro~
sTne: aelf.control2